Jack's Training Days
by Estrella
Summary: This may be hard to believe, but Jack wasn't always the Master of Fright we all know and love. This is an account of the days when he was a prince instead of a king. This is a spinoff from Origins and dedicated to fans of that story.
1. Preliminary Questions

Author's Note: Hope everyone's having a fun December so far. My winter break has officially started, which means it's time to start a brand spankin' new story. Remember, all things "Nightmare" do not belong to me. I own plenty of "Nightmare" stuff, but thank Tim Burton for making it all up in his head in the first place. For those following the timeline, this story takes place during Origins, from when Jack arrives in Halloween Town to the very last time Henry Cadaver acts as the Pumpkin King. Hope it was worth the wait.

"_Halloween Town, I present to you Jack Skellington, my heir."- Henry Cadaver_

"_Excuse me?" - Jack Skellington - Origins_

Jack's Training Days

There were buildings everywhere, very tall buildings. For some reason, they were going out of focus. There was an intense, searing pain in his body and the face of a young woman hovering over him. He wanted to tell her so many things, but he could only sputter out a few words at a time. Was he dying? Was he dreaming? He couldn't tell the difference. All he knew was that after a while, everything went black.

Jack Skellington woke with a start. He sat straight up in his bed and stared at the large window for a moment before getting up. What was he just thinking? He wasn't sure. There was however one thing he knew. In spite of the fact that he was a skeleton, he was hungry. Judging by the large full moon hovering over the town, it was the middle of the night, not the best time to ask his host for food. Still, Jack's hunger would not leave him alone. With a reluctant sigh, he made his way down the spiral staircase, tripping over his tiny feet once or twice before making it to the first floor. Surprisingly enough, his host was still awake and appeared to have been waiting for him.

"Hello, Jack," he said, looking up from the book he was reading.

"Hello, Mr. Cadaver, sir… I mean, Your Majesty. Right?" Jack asked, wary of just how he was to refer to the Pumpkin King.

"Henry will be just fine," he said as he got up. "Are you feeling alright?"

"Actually, I'm a little hungry," Jack said sheepishly.

"I see. Well, just follow me into the kitchen. I might still have some candy lying around from before."

"With all due respect, Henry, I'm not sure I can eat just candy."

"You can for now, unless you have an affinity for steamed cockroaches I didn't know about."

"Steamed what?" Jack asked, feeling nauseated and appalled at the same time.

"It's the only thing I really have at the moment; other than candy, that is," Henry said in a knowing tone as he pulled out a chair for Jack and watched him sit down with a blank stare on his skeletal face.

"I'll stick with the candy then, thank you," Jack said, quietly looking at the large bowl in the center of the table filled with all sorts of candies,

"So, what woke you?" Henry asked as he sat down across from Jack.

"Henry, I'm dead."

"Yes. Yes you are."

"You're dead too. Everything here is dead, isn't it?"

"To some people, yes, we are dead. I prefer to think we are reincarnated."

"Reincarnated?" Jack asked, grabbing a small, wrapped chocolate bar from the bowl and opening it as he asked.

"It's a lot to go into on your first night here, Jack. I don't want to overload your mind," Henry warned.

"No, go ahead. I want to know what's happened to me."

"Well, think of this as your first lesson if you must," Henry said before clearing his throat. "Jack, roughly twenty-four hours ago, you were living in a different plane of existence, what we folks here call the Real World. Not to say that this world isn't real, for it is. That is just the way we refer to the land of mortals."

"Why?" Jack asked, biting into the chocolate bar.

"I'm not too sure. As far as I know, that is what it has always been called, so there's really no point in changing the name. As I was saying, you were brought from that plane of existence to this one because you were meant to be my successor."

"Who made that decision?"

"The decision was made long before either of us existed. The point is once your soul served its time in the Real World, it was to come here."

"Why didn't I just come here in the first place then?"

"You said so yourself, Jack. You're dead, everything here is. Nothing has ever been born here. The only way to reach Halloween Town is to have lived in the Real World for a period of time and be marked for this destination."

"But that doesn't make sense. I saw children on the streets before."

"Their time in the Real World was much shorter than yours," Henry said bluntly, causing Jack to lean back on his chair.

"How tragic," Jack said after a momentary pause. "If only there was another way."

"There could be, it's just that no one has found it yet. Ah, but we're getting off topic. Where was I?"

"Coming to Halloween Town."

"Right. Well, once a soul lands in Halloween Town, he or she is transformed into a being that reflects both their individual personality and the meaning of the day."

"Can't we just look the way we did when we were alive?"

"No. Once one goes from one existence to another, every aspect of their life, or in our case afterlife, is transformed. Besides, we need our new forms to do our duty."

"Our duty?" Jack asked before he bit his finger, only realizing then that he had finished his candy bar. "Ow! I'm sorry, go ahead," he said to Henry while he grabbed another candy bar.

"To terrify every mortal on Halloween. Everyone has a fear, but not everyone fears the same thing. In order to scare as many people as possible, souls take on all sorts of shapes when they get here. You however, are special. Jack, since you are my heir, you have untapped powers of fear," Henry explained.

"I don't feel anything like that," Jack said.

"Well, you will. I'm going to teach you how to control and use your powers. That way, when I leave the throne, you'll be more than ready to take it over."

"There's no way I can say no to this, is there?" Jack asked nervously.

"No. But don't worry; we have plenty of time, about eight years. That should be enough to completely show you the ropes. Now, I think it's time you go back to sleep to digest all of this, and that candy as well."

"I don't think I'll be able to, Henry."

"If you can't, then you're more than welcome to pick up a book there and read. They are yours as well as they are mine. I do have to go to sleep however."

"Why?"

"I have a Post-Halloween meeting with the Mayor," Henry said as he left the kitchen table. "He likes to discuss what he liked, didn't like, and what we can do for next year."

"Are you serious?" Jack asked skeptically.

"Yes. If there is one thing you will learn about the Mayor, it is that he loves planning. He's probably up now sketching some new horrors for next year," Henry said with a chuckle.

"Do I have to go?" Jack asked, feeling a bit frightened at the prospect of having to meet someone that obsessed with Halloween.

"No, not this time around. Just get some sleep. I want to show you around town, help you get to know your subjects. Goodnight, Jack," Henry said as he left the kitchen.

And there Jack was again, alone and confused as ever. He had lived for the sole purpose of dying and ending up in the strangest place he ever could have imagined. Not only that, but he was supposed to rule over it one day. Now _that_ was scary. Still, there was no way he could get out of it. With a sigh, Jack left the kitchen table, grabbed a few more candy bars, and made his way back up the stairs. Something told him he was going to need all the sleep he could get.

So, just how will the Pumpkin Prince really react to Halloween Town? When will he begin his training? What exactly does Henry Cadaver have in store? More to come, so keep looking for updates, dearies.


	2. Beginning the Torch Pass

Author's Note: My apologies, dearies. I'm not dead, I'm just in college. Well, I was. Now I'm home for summer, which means updating! Now, I've learned many things in my months away from fanfiction, however, one lesson has stayed true- I am not Tim Burton. Nor am I Danny Elfman or a member of Disney or Touchstone Pictures. I'm just an overworked author going back to what I love most: writing for all of you. Thank you for your patience, enjoy!

By the time Jack woke up once more, there was definitely daylight in Halloween Town. He groggily pulled himself out of bed and walked over to the window in the hopes that sunlight would wake him up faster. Much to his surprise, the sunlight seemed to be causing him hallucinations. Jack could have sworn that the sun looked exactly like a jack o'lantern. He rubbed his eye sockets a few times only to see that the vision was still there.

"That's not normal," Jack said to himself before a bark caught his attention. "Oh, hello there," he said to the small, spectral dog hovering near the spiral staircase. "Zero, right?"

Zero nodded his head before cautiously floating over to Jack, sniffing the air all the while.

"Is Henry back yet?"

Zero responded by barking happily and doing a backflip.

"I'll take that as a yes," Jack said as he reached down to pet the dog before remembering it was a ghost. "I'll just head on downstairs and see what's going on for today."

Jack made a mental note to figure out whether or not his future pet could actually be pet as he walked down the spiral staircase. As he got closer to the house's main level, Jack heard Henry hastily saying goodbye to someone before slamming the door shut. When he actually reached the living room, Jack found Henry sprawled on the couch, massaging his temples.

"What happened to you?" Jack asked Henry.

"I just finished my meeting with the Mayor," Henry replied, never once removing his index fingers from his temples.

"It couldn't have been that bad, could it?" Jack asked in a nervous tone.

"You'll understand one day," Henry replied after exhaling heavily. The Pumpkin King then brought himself to his feet and grinned slightly. "My apologies for the foul mood. As I said before, you'll understand one day."

"I'm not sure I want to."

"Ah, but you have no choice in the matter. Who knows? Perhaps you'll be able to handle our beloved Mayor better than I."

"I doubt it."

"Jack," Henry began, throwing his left arm around the Pumpkin Prince's shoulder. "Think of this as your second lesson. Other than myself, you are the highest authority in this town."

"Higher than the Mayor."

"Yes."

"But I don't know anything about being in charge. If I did, I forgot," Jack sighed as he walked out of Henry's grasp and sat on the couch.

"That is why you are going to learn. Every good ruler must first know his people."

"How do I do that?"

"By spending time with them," Henry explained. "Jack, this is important, as it is your first step towards the title I currently hold. I want you to go around town and really get to know the citizens."

"What does this have to do with scaring mortals?" Jack asked, feeling more confused by the moment.

"I'm glad you asked. See, in getting to know the residents of Halloween Town, you will be exposed to their many talents and tactics in scaring mortals. When you get to know your people, you will also get to know their skills. Those will be added to the powers you inherently have."

"Really? Wow."

"Excited to do some research now?" Henry asked, noticing the curious and somewhat mischievous look on Jack's face.

"Definitely. Any suggestions on where to begin?"

"No. You have mostly free reign on how you conduct this massive interview."

"Mostly free reign?"

"I have one request: Stay away from Oogie Boogie."

"Who?"

"Remember the large burlap sack man at the ceremony last night?"

"Who could miss him?"

"Yes, Oogie is rather large. Still, his physical measurements pale in comparison to his ego. He is a pompous, dangerous brute who'll only do you harm. In fact, keep an eye out for those three children he orders around."

"They don't seem so bad."

"Believe you me, Lock, Shock, and Barrel are troublemakers, even if they are the best trick-or-treaters this town has ever had. You keep an eye out for them as well."

"Anything else?"

"That should be it. Now go out and begin your research. Return when you're tired, head out again when you're refreshed. I'll be here waiting, if not, then I'll be at Town Hall planning for Halloween."

"Yes, Henry. Thanks for the advice," Jack said as he got up from the couch and shook Henry Cadaver's hand. With a large grin, he turned around and strutted out the door… and promptly fell down the stairs.

"Jack?" Henry asked in an alarmed tone as he ran to the doorway.

"I forgot about those," Jack said in a sheepish tone as he picked himself up and continued walking.

"He has much to learn," Henry said to himself as he closed the door to Cadaver Manor.

Now that he was alone again, Henry could comfortably get himself organized. To do this, he had to go all the way down the spiral staircase, past the first level of the house. He neglected to tell Jack about this part of the house with good reason: it was reserved solely for the Pumpkin King and the Prince on his coronation. When he reached ground again, Henry lit the candle that was on the wall of the open doorway.

One could call it a museum, pieces of odd memorabilia that Henry had collected on his travels to and from the Real World and put on pedestals. On one pedestal was a button that proclaimed in large lettering "Ross for Mayor," right next to the one holding a newspaper that reported the supposed death of a missing person. The pedestal next to that one held an old fashioned radio with German words indicating which knob changed the station and which one raised the volume. The next pedestal had only a dangling chain that was once attached to a walking bathtub. Unfortunately, that piece of memorabilia had a mind of its own and escaped to join those it had brought to Halloween Town. On the last pedestal was a small, subtle collectible- a custom made pin in the shape of a pumpkin.

However, there was one pedestal empty left, one right next to that Henry Cadaver had really come to see. To the left of this pedestal was a small alcove that held an hourglass, a slip of paper and a silver-edged mirror. Henry picked up the slip of paper first and saw that the sixth name, Jake Skelly, had been crossed out, a skull and crossbones stamped to the right of it. Below that name were two others, Sarah Anderson and William Colby. The former was his to take care of in eight years, as noted to the right of the name. The latter would become the soul Jack would begin with. His initials, "JS," were already written to the right of that name by the powers that be. Henry put the list back next to the hourglass and watched the black-grained sands run, a good eight-years' worth slipping away.

Finally, Henry picked up the mirror. As he looked deep into it, he could see past the decaying, blueish skin that made up the right side of his face and the muscles exposed on the left half. Henry could see traces of who he once was, who he would become again once the crown was passed. This settled it. Henry put the mirror back in its place before leaving the room. No matter how hard it would be, what challenge he would face, he was going to prepare Jack Skellington for his destiny just as he had been prepared for his. Not only for Jack's sake, but for his own.

Why is Henry so concerned with learning about his past? Where will Jack start with the mass interview? Will he start small, or just forget Henry's advice and go after Oogie Boogie? Find out next time, which will be sooner than this one. Oh, and I hope you enjoyed the references to Origins and the slight one to The Guy From Kentucky.


	3. Jack Loses His Head And Almost His Mind

Author's Note: (sigh) Ya think just because there's no school, you can actually go on vacation and write to your heart's content. Well, no. Not really. As of yet, I have not acquired any rights to The Nightmare Before Christmas, but I still own Henry Cadaver and have traveled quite a bit, inspiring me all the same. So yes, boys and girls, the story continues once more, hopefully, deserving of your infinite patience. Thank you, and enjoy! (Last thing- if you haven't done so by now, reading Origins before reading this story will really help your comprehension.)

So many people to speak with. Well, if one could call them people honestly. Jack had no idea where he was going, nor whom was first on his interview run. Instead, he took to wandering the streets, looking around at the town that would one day be his. It was a nice place rally, if gloomy and drab. Halloween Town had a certain charm about it. All of the buildings looked as if they had been standing there since the beginning of time, save one.

Jack soon found himself in front of a large, metallic building he recognized from earlier. Doctor Finkelstein's laboratory, what he could call his birthplace if he were actually alive. If there was any place to start, this was it. Jack held his breath and walked his way to the door, ringing the surprisingly normal doorbell.

"It's open, Henry!" the scientist's voice called out from the depths of the lab.

"Oh, no sir, I'm not Henry," Jack called out as he opened the door.

"Well, whoever you are, I'll be down in a minute," Doctor Finkelstein's voice rang out. "Sally! Greet our guest!"

"Sally?" Jack asked himself before remembering the lone woman present in the room when he was assembled. He looked around to see where she was only to see a bit of smoke coming from a doorway to his right. "That's not normal," Jack said to himself as he walked over to the doorway.

Whatever was on the stove had burned quite a while ago. In front of the stove was its less than capable tender. The soulless ragdoll, instead of at least throwing out whatever she had burned, was far too busy stirring a pot of cold water next to the burnt remains of food.

"Miss, you can stop doing that now," Jack said to her.

No response came from the doll.

"Miss? Excuse me," Jack said, waving his right hand in front of her purely white eyes.

The doll blinked slowly this time, but that was about it.

"Hello? Miss Sally?" Jack asked, poking her on her left shoulder and watching in horror as she collapsed on the floor.

"Sally! Where's our guest?" Doctor Finkelstein asked, his voice closer than it was before.

"Oh no!" Jack exclaimed to himself in horror as he bent down and desperately shook Sally in order to wake her up. "Please wake up, please. I'm sorry."

Unfortunately, Sally didn't rouse herself. In fact, the shaking only caused the seams at her neck to loosen and her head to fall off. Jack looked once again in silent horror before passing out on the floor next to her.

"Sally?" asked the doctor's voice as he wheeled himself to the doorway, sighing at what he saw on the stove. "Oh dear. I suppose dinner's up to me again," he said nonchalantly just as he was about to wheel himself over the Pumpkin Prince's body. "Well, not Henry indeed. Just his ward. Hmmm, best to wake him up."

Doctor Finkelstein reached for the water and dumped it on Jack's head, causing him to sit up and sputter. For a moment, he forgot where he was and why he had fainted. Then he looked over at the headless body next to him on the ground and shrieked in terror before running behind Doctor Finkelstein's chair

"Calm down, Jack," Doctor Finkelstein said. "What in Halloween Town's going on?"

"I'm sorry sir, but I think I broke her," Jack said as he pointed to Sally's body and unattached head.

"Broke her?"

"Well, she was stirring that pot of water you threw on me and when I tried to get her to stop she passed out. I tried to wake her up and her head fell off and… and… and…"

"Jack Skellington, calm down. Sit yourself at the table and take a few deep breaths. I can assure you, Sally's not broken. She's just useless is all."

"Useless?"

"I make myself an assistant and all she does is sit around, staring blankly and drooling. Useless," Doctor Finkelstein said, wheeling himself around Sally's body to a drawer, opening it to take out a needle and thread.

"Well, I could help you, sir?"

"Nonsense. Your apprenticeship is needed elsewhere. Now tell me, why did Henry send you over here, because I doubt yet you'd have the courage to seek me on your own."

"How is that so? I'm supposed to be the scariest spook ever seen."

"Jack, if Sally's head falling off scared you, you're nowhere near ready," Doctor Finkelstein said frankly as he scooped up her head and body and began to sew.

"You're right," Jack sighed. "Henry sent me on a mission to interview all my future charges and see how they scare and what they do. I don't understand it at all."

"You will. Take your head off."

"What? I can't do that."

"Just do it. It'll keep you entertained while I finish with Sally here."

"Well, alright… I guess," Jack said as he put his hands on the sides of his head and, pop, off came his head. And then slammed back down on his neck in surprise. "Did I just-"

"Since you were scared of Sally's head coming off, you can now disembody yourself to scare others as well," Doctor Finkelstein said as he finished, with Sally sitting on the floor and blankly staring at a wall, unaware of how she lost her head. "To become the terror deserving of the title Pumpkin King, you also have to go through just what you'll be putting people through."

"These aren't interviews. There are scares! Henry tricked me," Jack said in an angry tone, slumping back in his chair and crossing his arms. "'Get to know my people' he said. That liar!"

"Would you have come over so eagerly if you knew the truth?"

"Well… no."

"Then what progress would you have made? You'd be going back to Cadaver Manor the same ignorant spirit that wandered out of it earlier this day."

"He could have warned me. I mean, I just died and I'm being thrown into all this. It's making my head hurt," Jack said as he promptly took it off and set it on the table.

"I remember being in your shoes once. Just died, having no idea why or how, and no use of my legs. Henry Cadaver brought me here, brought me home. He does the best he can with his subjects, and sometimes, he outright fails. But he's the only Pumpkin King I've ever known, and a good one at that."

"He still could have told me the truth," Jack whined.

"Oh, the lingering idea of entitlement of the living. It'll pass one day, my boy. Until then, I suggest you put yourself back together. If you're here to learn, I may as well teach you what I know."

"I suppose. There won't be anymore scares for me will there?" Jack asked as he put his head back on and got up

"Only enough to make you brave," Doctor Finkelstein said, rolling away, leaving Sally to get herself up as clumsily as she could and sit at the table alone.

"Lovely," Jack sighed as he followed the doctor.

And so it came to pass that Jack Skellington went home to Cadaver Manor that night knowing more than he did in the morning. It would be a pattern that would follow in the days and months to come. At least, until the one day came that he could not avoid. It was at the very end of his scares, and a day created solely of his own curiosity. Although the spring was coming and the world was beginning to warm itself from winter, the time came for Jack to have his first, and certainly not last, chilling encounter with Oogie Boogie.

Hmmm… so, what happened between Jack and Oogie on that fateful day? What does Jack know to at least aid him in this day? Will Henry help him or leave him to his own resources? That and more to come, honest!


End file.
